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Last weekend's final round of the Australian GT Championship was a success for Nathan Antunes. He goes on to recall the highlights for us at Beechwood Homes;
Antunes writes "After luck going against us in race one with a puncture in the tyre befor

The Beechwood Homes McLaren 650s GT3 was in action in Perth last weekend for Round 3 of the Australian GT Championship.
Nathan Antunes kicked off Race 1 on Saturday after qualifying in 8th position and quickly gained a couple of positions in the r

The team at Beechwood Homes have really outdone themselves raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation during this year’s World’s Greatest Shave which has them currently placed in 6th position on the Top Fundraising Teams National Leaderboard.
The ev

Image shown above is the laundry in Beechwood Homes' Seacrest design, on display at Housing World Shell Cove.
One of the most important things to think about when designing any practical room such as a laundry or kitchen is the roles of

When starting out on a new build project, it is important to ask the right questions. But as a new-comer to the world of home building, what are the right questions?
The key components that often trip up a new build seem to be similar regardless of

Image shown above is the award winning Asquith 36 design, on display at Housing World Shell Cove.
Earlier this year, Beechwood Homes were awarded Best Exhibition/Project Home between $250,000-$300,000 at the 2015 Master Builders’ Associa

One of the most asked about topics that often comes up when starting the planning process with Beechwood Homes’ is “What is the difference between a Development Application (DA) and a Complying Development Certificate (CDC)?
It is important to

The 2016 Australian GT Championship gets underway in Adelaide on 3 March 2016, and Beechwood Homes will again support an entry.

Beechwood has once again linked up with Nathan Antunes, who will be joined behind the wheel by Elliot Barbour.

Nathan has changed manufacturers from Audi and this year will be sitting in an awesome looking and sounding McLaren 650S GT3, supported by TEKNO Autosports. McLaren recently took out the 12 hour race at Bathurst last month so Nathan and Elliot are confident that they have a car that can deliver several pole positions and podium finishes.

This year, the GT3s will be competing in two championships, a sprint series over 6 races (which starts in Adelaide this week) and an endurance series over 4 races (which starts in a few months).

There is a full grid for the first race in Adelaide, which includes 3 other McLaren 650Ss (including one driven by TV personality Grant Denyer), 6 Audi R8s, 5 Mercedes AMGs, 3 Lamborghini R-EXs, 2 Lamborghini Gallardos, 3 Porsches, 2 Ferraris, and 2 BMWs including a brand new BMW M6.

This week’s Adelaide event will be contested over 3 x 40 minute races. The current schedule is:

Nathan returns to Adelaide as defending champion after winning last year’s round with two victories and a third place. TV coverage will be provided on Fox Sports 5 (Channel 506) in conjunction with the V8 coverage.

Bushfire is a major challenge for our communities, and hot summers coupled with strong winds are a major concern each bushfire season.

When building on bushfire prone land, there are considerations that go into the design and construction of the home.

Given that many new estates are located near or adjacent to bush land, Beechwood Homes are knowledgeable in building in bushfire prone areas and work closely with qualified consultants to ensure that additional needs are factored into design and construction.

In the aftermath of the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires in 2009, all Australian states have committed to policies to ensure Australian homes are built from materials that have the best possible chance of withstanding moderate bushfire exposure.

Further regulations as part of the Australian Standard AS 3959 have imposed specific zonings, called Bushfire Attack Levels. The Bushfire Attack Levels, or BALs, are a set of distinct material, design and construction specifications for each area in Australia according to their inherent threat of bushfire. These standards take into account the potential for ignition caused by burning embers, radiant heat or flame generated by a bushfire as well as the expected intensity of the bushfire attack on the building. Each BAL has been designed in consideration of the extreme weather and natural phenomena consistently encountered throughout Australia's variable landscape.

As a general rule, the closer your home is to bush land, the greater the chance that additional requirements will be needed. It is first necessary to determine a 'Bushfire Attack Level' for new homes near bush land.

The building requirements for house design and construction vary according to the bush fire attack level that a development falls into. The building requirements for each BAL are set out in Australian Standard: 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas 2009 (AS3959).

When building your new home with Beechwood Home, we work with consultants and local authorities to ensure your new home is being built to the correct BAL standard and will pass any complying requirements.

Beechwood Homes is this year proud to celebrate six years of building the Genesis range of homes for families throughout NSW.

Specifically designed for first home owners, the Genesis series of homes offers a wide range of individual styles, single and double storey's, all built with the famous Beechwood quality.

With the needs of your modern family in mind, these homes and can be individually customised to include 3, 4 or 5 bedroom home designs with theatre and study rooms.

Each Genesis home comes with the Genesis Indulgence package, extras that help you feel immediately at home in your new Beechwood home. Many of the extras are a subtle addition that just make you more comfortable, wide vanity in the bathroom, extra overhead space in the kitchen, flyscreens and remote control garage opening. Small features, but together they truly help to make your house, your home.

Beechwood Homes are proud to build complete traditional family homes with a generous list of inclusions. Our Genesis Indulgence range of inclusions offers more than just the basics; it provides a comfortable home for your family.

The Genesis Indulgence Package doesn't cost you any more, it is included into the price of all the Genesis series homes.

A new home brings with it much more than brand new walls and floors. When building a new place to live, home owners can find themselves having to assess how much space they need for storage both now and into the future. What to keep and what to throw out? It isn't always as simple as two piles or out with the old in with the new. Add on top of that a growing family and all of a sudden that big home is starting to get a little bit crowded.

Making sure your new project home has enough storage for the many stages of your new life is the safest answer. An extra bedroom or guest room is a first step in the right direction, not to mention the many benefits of a two car garage. Other features such as extra storage built into busy family areas like the laundry and kitchen can be a god send over the years.

Beechwood Homes' Lakeview Grange Thirty One has a combined living area of over 270m2, with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a generous spread of living, lounge and dining areas. The Lakeview Grange is a great home for big families that plan on getting bigger! To find out more about our Lakeview Range contact our team here.

With the new calendar year well and truly started, thoughts turn to New Year resolutions and plans. The first few months of the year can be a great time to start planning your new home for 2016, with the time to visit display homes and go through plans and designs that will most suit your family and how you like to live.

Beechwood Homes are here to make the whole building process simple, from matching the right block to the floor plan, to the design and the construction of your new home, we are here every step of the way.

Building a new home doesn't have to be a year in the planning, however each step of the process can take time. The more planning and preparation you do in the lead up to construction means less delays waiting for decisions on things like fixtures, colours or tiles.

The summer break is a great time to sit down and start planning your new family home. Contact Beechwood Homes or visit one of our display villages across Sydney and NSW North and South Coast.

For generations, coastal lifestyles have been viewed as an unaffordable luxury to the larger part of the population due to location, housing affordability and employment prospects. Beechwood Homes are pleased to say that this notion is becoming a thing of the past when you consider two of our prominent building locations: Shell Cove and Twin Waters.

Shell Cove is located less than 30km from the thriving city of Wollongong and only about 90 minutes from Sydney. Living at Shell Cove means being located within minutes of local beaches, natural attractions and the ample facilities of Shellharbour City.

Shell Cove blends the beauty and lifestyle of living by the coast with the convenience and opportunities of multiple community facilities and prosperous business precincts.

Twin Waters is located in South Nowra, an area well known for its natural beauty and about 2 hours of Sydney. With extensive facilities in the nearby city of Nowra, Twin Waters provides easy access to transport, health and shopping alternatives.

Twin Waters has been developed with a commitment to outdoor living. Surrounded by natural bushland, Twin Waters features beautiful walking tracks, cycle ways, parks, BBQ areas and fitness stations to encourage your active lifestyle. Living at Twin Waters facilitates an easy coastal lifestyle. Each block is large enough to build your new home, have a backyard, and still have space to park a caravan or boat. Offering the best of both relaxed coastal living and the growing opportunities of the city of Nowra, Twin Waters can offer your family a life you’ve only dreamed of.

These two estates are representative of the Beechwood commitment to affordable, yet quality living. We are proudly partner builders in both Shell Cove and Twin Waters and feel that we are actively helping to build these communities one home at a time.

If you are interested in either of these estates, Beechwood Homes feature a display home at both of these locations. Come and have a chat with one of our friendly staff to see what Beechwood and a coastal lifestyle can offer you.

Sydney is “bursting at the seams” and it is apparent that our infrastructure is not coping. We as a city, are growing much faster than our current development processes and community facilities can accommodate.

The drastic housing affordability issues we are going through put many Sydney families under enormous mortgage and lifestyle stress as they attempt to achieve the dream of owning their own home. The knock-on ramifications of extremely high house prices affects more than just income. A broad range of socio-economic factors that formulate a community are adversely affected by housing affordability crisis situations similar to those being experienced now.

In response to Sydney’s affordability issues, the Federal Government have just announced some of the biggest land development news in over a decade. The proposed Greater Macarthur Land Release is currently investigating the viability of developing around 7,700ha of land in the region creating three new suburb precincts: Wilton Junction, Menangle Park and Mount Gilead.

On 22nd September 2015, the NSW Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, made the announcement that this development is in full investigation stages to facilitate and satisfy the rezoning and planning requirements. Working closely with both Campbelltown and Wollondilly councils, the NSW Planning Department are carefully considering the land release so that it does not undermine the rural and historic qualities of the area.

The Greater Macarthur Land Release is going to provide extensive opportunities to build modern, healthy communities. At Beechwood Homes, we are committed to this same goal wherever we build our homes. We are excited about this new land release as we see it as an excellent, and much-needed, development alternative for Sydney. Providing affordable, traditional family homes has been the cornerstone of the Beechwood Homes business from the beginning. We believe that this provides ample opportunities for communities to evolve into supportive and comfortable places to live.

These proposed future developments will see 35,000 new homes in the region over the next 30 years and will bring with them extensive supporting infrastructure, employment opportunities and alternatives. That will be 35,000 opportunities for families at all stages of life to build a new home and a new life as part of the Greater Macarthur community.

The simple message is that Sydney must expand in order to accommodate the flourishing population numbers. By providing measured and carefully planned developments, such as the Greater Macarthur Land Release, Sydney is actively building new, functional communities that can enhance our city.

The decision to embark on your own new home journey is a really exciting one. But what happens after you have made that decision? Where do you start?

Choosing to build with Beechwood Homes as your builder is a very personal decision but it can be a highly efficient and less stressful way to build your new home. During the construction process, the complexity of contracts, tenders and regulatory requirements are facilitated predominantly by the team at Beechwood Homes. We can help to guide you through the different stages of construction, acting as your building partner the whole way through.

Understanding the construction process is important in order to know where to start, and how to get into your new home quickly and successfully.

The Beechwood Construction Process

Finding your land

Beechwood Homes are happy to work closely with you whether you have bought your block, are still looking for it, or have decided to go with one of our House and Land options. Finding the perfect location for your new family home is important to the success of the overall build. Beechwood can assist you with this process and expertly advise on land features and availability. Remember that a cheaper block to purchase may be a more expensive block to build on.

Visiting a display home and a personal consultation

After making the decision to build a new home, it is important to come and see our homes at one of Beechwood’s display home locations. Here you can speak to our staff and organise your personal consultation.

During your personal consultation, all stages of the process and your expected requirements will be clearly explained so you will know exactly what is happening, and what is coming up next.

Choosing your new home

After carefully considering your own personal needs and wants, it is time to decide on exactly what you would like your new home to be in terms of design, aesthetics and colours.

Once you have decided on your new home’s design and character, our team will put together a formal proposal so all details can be clearly outlined.

Signing the contract

Your acceptance of the contract gives us the go ahead to start building your new home. There is a small window of opportunity at this point to make changes to your contract but be sure to do this quickly as further charges will be incurred and delays may result for alterations made after this time.

Commencement of construction

Being able to see your home evolve is a really exciting part of the Beechwood construction process. Beechwood endeavours to keep you updated on the progress of your home throughout construction.

Handover processes

Before you can begin enjoying your new home, we need to finalise everything in what we call a “handover”. During this process it is important to inspect your home and give us relevant feedback. Once everyone is happy, you can move in your new home!

Build a new life with your family

The best part of the construction process is the finished product. Sit back and relax in your new family home that has been purpose-built to enhance the quality of your lifestyle.

Choosing Beechwood Homes to be your project building partner is simple. Just visit one of our display homes or call us on 02 9616 0999 to chat to one of our friendly consultants.

When trying to decide on a project home builder, new home owners are faced with a lot of confusing information. One example of this are the widely varying inclusions lists. Comparing these lists can be difficult but it is very important to understand exactly what is included in your home package in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Some home features that you may consider to be a standard inclusion, are not covered by certain building contracts and can quickly blow out a budget. Beechwood Homes’ Genesis range of homes come with such features as carpet, floor tiles, a dishwasher, and an alarm system as standard inclusions. Our Genesis range of home designs are also fully supported by our Genesis Indulgence inclusions.

Genesis homes are built to last and come with sensible, structural inclusions such as termite resistant framing, roofing made from trusted Colorbond® steel, and a fully reinforced concrete slab to adhere to AS2870 regulations.

Your family home is built with finer details that reflect your individualism, subtly enhancing the aesthetics and ambience. It is easy to make a Genesis home your own with design inclusions such as picture and furniture recesses and your choice of profiles and colours for your roof tiles, aluminium windows and paintwork.

Form is also supported by function in every Beechwood Home. Each Genesis home includes extra features that add to the practicality of your home. Some of these features include large, modern vanities in bathrooms and ensuites, a garage remote unit, double power points throughout the house, and overhead cupboards in kitchens. These functional, convenient inclusions are easy to overlook but add significantly to the practicality of your home.

Additional costs are alleviated by our comprehensive range of included site, administration and regulatory features such as:

180 day tender

Land contour survey

House peg out and identification survey

Engineer certificate for slab and piers

Construction Contract Insurance

ABSA Energy Efficiency Certificate

BASIX Certificate

The best way to truly gauge what an inclusion adds to a home is to see it in person. Visiting one of our many display homes can really highlight the visual and functional impact of our features and inclusions.

Beechwood Homes are proud to build complete traditional family homes with a generous list of inclusions. Our Genesis Indulgence range of inclusions offers more than just the basics; it provides a comfortable home for your family.

At Beechwood Homes, we are extremely proud of our building partnerships and suppliers. One of our most trusted suppliers is Beaumont Tiles. Beaumont Tiles’ products are key elements to completing the outstanding finishes we expect for our homes and our clients.

Beaumont Tiles are the suppliers of superior quality tiles for most of our key home designs. Their quality products combined with Beechwood’s exceptional designs culminate in a home that you and your family can be proud of.

Beaumont Tiles has always sourced the very best products and made them accessible to a wider range of locations. Since their inception back in 1960 after identifying a lack of high quality tiles and tiling products in the Australian marketplace, Beaumont have endeavoured to source products from global manufacturers based on their exceptional quality and practicality.

Beaumont’s history of passion for finding quality products has extended their available range to a vast amount of tiles. Beechwood have worked with Beaumont to establish a distinct product range available as part of our home packages. We have selected key products for each of our homes that complement and enhance the styling and functionality.

Beaumont Tiles have established themselves as a quality supplier to the building industry and Beechwood Homes are happy to enjoy an ongoing partnership with them.

If you would like to view the range of Beaumont Tiles available in a range of Beechwood homes, please visit one of our display homes in our many locations.